Tone-control device



Jan. 16, 1923.

H. HEAD.

TONE ACONTROL DEVICE.

man AuG.24. 1911.

TIE. l

Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HEAD, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, ACORPO- RATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TONE-CONTROL DEVICE.

Application led August 24, 1917.

To all whom 'it may comer-n.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT HEAD, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Tone-Control Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to tone control devices for talkinglmachines; and it comprises, briefiy, an extremely simple and efficientvalve mechanism, which may be readily and quickly adjusted to pro ducevariations in the volume of sound waves passing fromy the sound-box ofthe in strument through the tone arm to the horn or amplifier', so as toeffect at will any desired shading of the composition being played.

The invention further comprehends certain hereinafter describedimprovements in the valve :itself and in .its operating means, wherebya. iine adjustment of the valve may be obtained by a comparativelycoarse adjustment, so to speak, of the operating handle, and whereby theaforesaid valve, when once adjusted, will retain its position withoutdanger of accidental displacement therefrom; and it also resides in theprovision of a valve mechanism having the abovementioned and otherimproved fea.- tures, which may be manufactured and installed atcomparatively low cost.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there isprovided a slide valve, which is mounted in a Apassagciwxy formedbetween the neck of the horn and the tone arm socket and is shiftableforward or backward in a direction to alternatively cover or uncover theopening through which the sound waves enter the horn. The valve is(unistructed in such a wav as to completely avoid leakage arfuuid it.and.` also.y as to fric tionally maintain its posit-ion at any point inits travel; and it is operated by i ns of a. dev3 the component parts ofwhich are so adjusted and proportioned that a very gradual motion of thevalve in approach or leaving its closing position is rovided for, sothatl an abrupt shutting og of the soundewaves or vice versa, withresultant inharmonious break in the tone, avoided even though the handleor other actuating part be carelessly manipulated.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan. view of a talking ma- Serial No. 188,020.

chine equipped with the improved tone control valve and operating meanstherefor.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section, taken on line 2v2, Figure l.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section, taken on line 3 3, Figure 2, showingthe valve and its mounting.

Figure 4: is an inverted perspective view of the valve.

Referring more particularly to said drawing, 5 indicates generally thecabinet of the machine, 6 the top shelf thereof, and 7 the tone armcarrying the sounddiox 8, all of which parts are, or may be, of theusual construction. The downward]y-curved rear end of the tone arm 7 hasthe usual rotating tit in the socket 9, which latter may be mounted inthe shelf 6 in any desired manner and communicates directly with thehorn 10 to provide for the passage of the sound-waves through said tonearm from the sound-box and thence into and through the horn.

In the construction herein disclosed, which may, for all practicalpurposes, be considered as preferred, the improved valve il, is locatedat the junction of the horn and tone arm socket, and is fitted to moveendwise in either direction in a horizontal slideway 12, which is formedpartly by each of the two elements just mentioned. For this purpose, theconfronting ends of said elements are enlarged so as to provideoppositely-located upper and lower flanges 1? and 14;, which are spacedslightly apart by means of their vertical side edges l5, said iangesbeing fastened to each other by screws or the like. Hence, it followsthat the sound passage is intersected at right angles by the slideway12, which lis open at opposite ends but closed along its sides, so thatthe movements of the valve in one di.- rection or tbe other will servelo regulate the effective area of said passage at such point and,consequently'. the volume of sound waves passing therethrough.

The aforesaid valve. as here shown, is degned to fit conforniably in theslideway 1 2, and is preferably composed of a lower. sheet K metalmember 16, and an upper member i7 made of' leather or other suitablesound-oo structing material., the two members being cemented orotherwise fastened together. The valve is made substantiallyrectangular, and has a Ushaped piece cut out of its front end, leavingan opening 18, the width of lion, 'with a sound vonffluih and aslifleway intersecting the saine; of a valve in said slideivay movableacross said conduit to control. the pass the sound waves there through,ad; mea; for' said valve; and spriugg; finnois r tingl agniinst saidvalve adjacent t; opposite edges thereo'i and against sa id slid/way toretain the valve in adjusted po ion.

2. ln a musical instrument, the combination, with a i ind conduit, and aslideway interseclfiuny the same; oi? a falve in said slideuf'ay movableaero. `aid conduit to control the p age oi the sound waves therethroughg and adjusting means Ytor the valve, said valve comprising a sheetmetal member which is provided with ii'iteg'ral spring' lingersengae'eahle with said slideway to retain the valve in adjusted position.

In a soun ;lreproducingl,f instrument, the combination with a sound.conduit; of a valve movable across said conduit to control the passageoi? sound therethrough, said valve comprising a member having a pair oflongitudinally spaced openings therein arranged so that one of saidopenings is brought into communication with said conduit concurrentlyWith the movement ot the other opening,` in a direction to carry it outoi4 comn'iunicaiion with said conduit, and a vibration-deadenin mediumcovering one ol' said openings.

4l. ln a soimd-reproducing instrument, the combination, with a soundconduit, and a slideivay intersecting` the same; of a valve in saidslide/Way movable across said conduit to control the passage of thesound Waves therethrough; and adjusting means for the valve; said valvecomprising a member of vil'iration-deadening material and a supportingmember provided with spring fingers engganeable with the slideway toretain the valve in adjusted position and to torce the member ofviliiration deadening material into Contact with the adjacent `wall ofthe slide- Way.

5. In a sound-reproducing' instrument, the combination, With a soundconduit, and a slidewvay intersecting the same; of a valve in saidslideivay movable across said conduit to control the passage oi thesound Waves therethrough; said valve comprising superposed layers olfvibratiou-rleadening ina-- terial and supporting material. therefor,both having' an opening formed therethrough adapted to register withsaid conduit, and the supporting material only having an opening thereinadjacent the first-named opening to expose the vibration.-deadeningmateri l across the sound-conduit 'when the valve is in closed position.

6. In a souiid-reproducing instrument, the combination. With a soundconduit, and a slideway intersecting the same; of a valve in saidslideway movable across said conduit to control the passage of the soundWaves therethrough; and adjusting means 1Cor the valve; said valvecomprising a member composed ot vibration-deadening material and asupporting member provided with spring fingers engageable with theslideivay to retain the valve in adjusted potion and Jforce its memberof vibrationdeadening material into contact with the upper Wall of theslideway; both members hair ing their front portions cut aivay toprovide an opening; adapted to register with said conduit` and thesupporting; member only having an opening in rear of the lirst-namedopening; to expose the viln'ation.d.eadening material extending acrossit.

7. .ln a musical instrument, the combination with a sound conduit, and aslideWay intersecting the same; ot a valve in said sli deivay movableacross said conduit to control the passage ot the sound Wavestherethrough: seid valve comprising superposed layers otvibration-deadening material and supporting material therefor, thesupporting' material but not the vibration-deadening i'naterial havingan opening, formed therethrough so that when the valve is closedsubstantially only the vibration-deadeningr ma- .terial registers Withthe opening;y in the conduit,

8. tone modi tier plate comprisingr a cutofi' board and a pair otspring' runners positioned beneath opposite edges of said hoard, theWhole formed from single strip ot sheet material.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT HEADa

